Video Is Released From 2013 North Carolina Police Shooting of Jonathan Ferrell

Video

A portion of the dashboard camera video released by the Charlotte Police Department on Wednesday shows Jonathan Ferrell moments before he was shot by Officer Randall Kerrick.Published OnAug. 6, 2015CreditImage by Charlotte Police Department, via Associated Press

A police dashboard camera video from the shooting death of a black man in North Carolina in 2013 has been made public as part of the trial of the police officer accused of killing him.

The trial started on Monday with opening arguments in Charlotte, where Officer Randall Kerrick, 28, has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death of Jonathan Ferrell, 24, an unarmed former college football player. Mr. Kerrick has been accused of firing eight shots at Mr. Ferrell’s fallen body.

On Sept. 14, 2013, Mr. Ferrell crashed a car on a dark stretch of road outside Charlotte. He kicked out the back windshield, walked to a nearby home and knocked on the door to ask for help around 2:30 a.m.

The woman living there, Sarah McCartney, who was home with her infant son, believed he was trying to break in and called the police.

Officer Kerrick and two other police officers arrived. Soon after, he fired 12 rounds at Mr. Ferrell, hitting him 10 times — eight of them while he was on the ground — and killing him.

The dashboard camera video shows the officers’ cars after they pulled up to the house. It shows Mr. Ferrell briefly walking toward them and then breaking into a run as pinpoints of light flash on his shirt. Prosecutors have said that Mr. Ferrell ran, fearing for his life, after another officer aimed a laser-sighted Taser at his chest.

The video then relays shouts of “get on the ground” as Mr. Ferrell runs, now outside the camera’s view. At least a dozen shots ring out. “Shots fired, shots fired,” someone radios.

On Thursday, the court heard testimony from another officer who was at the scene, Adam Neal, who said he did not draw his gun and said he had heard no commands directed at Mr. Ferrell before he started running, The Charlotte Observer reported.

Officer Kerrick was suspended without pay. Mr. Ferrell’s family has reached a $2.25 million settlement with the city of Charlotte in a wrongful death lawsuit.